June 15th, 2010

Organic Food Stores

Organic Food Stores

Buying At The Organic Food Store Near You

Organic food stores are cropping up all over the nation. Many big-chain retailers now feature an organic line of products available to the consumer, while specialty shops are appearing across the land. Chances are good that if you live in a mid-sized city or up there's one within biking distance, if not walking. But how to get the most use out of an organic food store?

Be a Street Smart Shopper

Many people believe that organic foods are healthier for them-it makes sense, since you're not putting chemicals that kill bugs inside your own body. But don't buy anything that catches your eye at your local organic foods store. That organic ice cream still contains fat and sugar, while those organic roast beef may make you sick if you eat it raw.

What's it Take to Be Organic?

With all the advertising these days, it's hard to know what's what when you buy anything. This is especially true when you're walking down the aisles of a food store. Most Organic food has had to be certified since1990, with the Organic Foods Act passed by Congress. More recently, cuts of meat have been certifiable by the USDA as organic. These are the labels you want to look for.

When a food with several ingredients, like a cereal, is labeled organic, that means that 90% of the contents pass organic standards. If you see something in the organic food store that says, "made with organic ingredients" you can safely bet that over 70% of the ingredients are organic. Finally, if only a few of the ingredients are organic, food producers are permitted to show which ones on the packaging.

Organic Produce: The Secret is In the PLU

Organic produce reputedly tastes better than conventional. Many people find that adhering to more natural growing processes and keeping the field or orchard as free of chemicals as possible is simply the best way to manifest great fruit. In fact, that is why many three- and four- star restaurants insist on organic produce only in making their dishes.

If something in an organic food store is claimed to be organic, there's a simple way you can confirm this. Look at the sticker. This should have a four- or five-digit number on it, the PLU. Four is for conventional items, while a five-digit number beginning with 9 is for organic produce. But watch out! PLU's can come in five digits beginning with an eight, in which case the item is genetically-modified.

Farmer's Market Foods Organic Canned Pumpkin, 15-Ounce Cans (Pack of 12)
Farmer's Market Foods Organic Canned Pumpkin, 15-Ounce Cans (Pack of 12)
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Description

Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin is rich, smooth and delicious, and ready to use for everything from baked delights to savory center of the plate entrees. Use it in a variety of recipes including pies, muffins, cookies, soups…even chili! The bright orange color is your first clue that our Organic Pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene, which may help protect against heart disease, regulate blood-sugar, and reduce the severity of conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis with its anti-inflammatory effects. Also, Farmer’s Market Organic Pumpkin has large amounts of dietary fiber and antioxidants, is very low in fat and calories, and high in potassium. It also contains a fair amount of vitamin C and other nutrients such as niacin, vitamin E, calcium and iron.

Features

  • Pack of 12 15-ounce cans (total of 180 ounces)
  • Certified Organic
  • Naturally sweet pumpkin puree
  • Grown in the USA
  • Very best for pies, baking, and soups
The Artichoke Trail: A Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants, Organic Food Stores & Farmers' Markets in the Us (Hunter Travel Guides)
The Artichoke Trail: A Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants, Organic Food Stores & Farmers' Markets in the Us (Hunter Travel Guides)
List Price: $16.95
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Description

The Artichoke Trail is the ultimate tool for mobile vegetarians, vegans, vegetarian wannabes, and travelers looking for a good, healthy meal. Although it celebrates the pleasures of vegetarian dining throughout the United States, it’s not just a guide to restaurants, natural foods stores and farmers’ markets. Over 1,000 restaurants are described, with hundreds featured in great detail and reviewed using the unique Artichoke Trail rating system. Food stores and markets serving the vegetarian community are also listed, as well as facts and interesting tidbits that health-minded individuals will appreciate. A handy glossary of vegetarian-related food terms and dishes is included, along with helpful Web sites and other resources such as vegetarian organizations. The author has included a wide range of restaurants, stores and markets catering to vegans, vegetarians, or those who simply appreciate meatless cooking. You’ll find everything from hamburger joints with a superb garden burger option to gourmet raw foods restaurants that adhere to strict vegan standards. Special consideration is given to budget travelers, and all listings have an eye toward value. Maps show the location of featured restaurants in each state, and reviews give mouth-watering descriptions of tasty vegetarian dishes that even confirmed meat-eaters will enjoy.

Newman's Own Organics Adult Dog Food Formula, 12.5-Pound Bag
Newman's Own Organics Adult Dog Food Formula, 12.5-Pound Bag
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Newman's Own Organics Adult Dog Food Chicken & Rice Formula is a new holistic formula based on the newest concept in animal nutrition.

Features

  • One 12.5 pound bag of dry dog food
  • Organic ingredients
  • Pack with 12.5 pound bag
America's Midwest: The Best Organic Food Stores, Farmers' Markets & Vegetarian Restaurants
America's Midwest: The Best Organic Food Stores, Farmers' Markets & Vegetarian Restaurants
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Description

"This is the resource book for vegetarian travelers." -- Healing Retreats. "This is a terrific and much-needed guidebook that makes traveling easy and worry-free for vegetarians. It lists and rates vegetarian restaurants and also reports on the best places to find produce." -- Society of American Travel Writers Foundation "... a handy way to eat well on the road... celebrates the pleasures of good and healthful eating.... Frost is an engaging writer, as interested in history as in food." -- Physician's Travel & Meeting Guide"... well researched... " -- ForeWord magazine"It's a meaty guidebook for the meatless." -- National Geographic Traveler"Traveling vegetarians no longer have to make do with salads and pastas." -- The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. The full guide covers all of the United States and is the WINNER OF THE LOWELL THOMAS BRONZE AWARD FOR BEST TRAVEL GUIDE, sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. This excerpt focuses on America's Midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North & South Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin & Wyoming), along with several key elements from the larger book. The ultimate tool for mobile vegetarians, vegans and travelers looking for a good, healthy meal. Many restaurants are described, with some featured in great detail and reviewed using a unique rating system. Food stores and markets serving the vegetarian community are also listed, as well as facts and interesting tidbits that health-minded individuals will appreciate. You'll find everything from hamburger joints with a superb garden burger option to gourmet raw foods restaurants that adhere to strict vegan standards.

Earth's Best Organic 2nd Fruit Variety Pack, 4-Ounce Jars (Pack of 12)
Earth's Best Organic 2nd Fruit Variety Pack, 4-Ounce Jars (Pack of 12)
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Description

Organically grown, without potentially harmful pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.

Features

  • No genetically engineered ingredients
  • Organic, no artificial colors or flavors
  • No preservatives, no added salt or sugar
  • Vegan, wheat free, kosher
Jojoba Oil 100% Pure - 16 oz. - Liquid
Jojoba Oil 100% Pure - 16 oz. - Liquid
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Description

Jojoba Oil is an all-natural vegetable oil derived from the jojoba bean. Actually a liquid wax, jojoba is the carrier of choice for the perfumery industry because it does not oxidize or become rancid. An excellent moisturizer suitable for daily use. Jojoba Oil nourishes and revitalizes skin, relieves sunburn and can be used on hands, nails and hair. Jojoba Oil is remarkably similar to the natural sebum secreted by our own skin. 100% pure.

Features

  • NOW FOODS JOJOBA OIL 16 OZ
Jobe's 5001T Houseplant Indoor Fertilizer Food Spikes, 50 Pack
Jobe's 5001T Houseplant Indoor Fertilizer Food Spikes, 50 Pack
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Description

For foliage houseplants. Pre measured for 60 day feeding. Prevents over feeding. Analysis: 13 4 5. 50 per card.

Features

  • Nutrients feed at the roots
  • No danger of overfeeding
  • Easy to use
  • No wasteful chemical run off
  • Continuous supply of nutrients
Food, Inc.
Food, Inc.
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Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, thelivelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often shocking truths about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation. Q&A with Producer/Director Robert Kenner, Co-Producer/Food Expert Eric Schlosser, Food Expert Michael Pollan and Producer Elise Pearlstein How did this film initially come about?Kenner: Eric Schlosser and I had been wanting to do a documentary version of his book, Fast Food Nation.  And, for one reason or another, it didn't happen. By the time Food, Inc. started to come together, we began talking and realized that all food has become like fast food, and all food is being created in the same manner as fast food. How has fast food changed the food we buy at the supermarket?Schlosser: The enormous buying power of the fast food industry helped to transform the entire food production system of the United States.  So even when you purchase food at the supermarket, you’re likely to be getting products that came from factories, feedlots and suppliers that emerged to serve the fast food chains. How many years did it take to do this film and what were the challenges?Kenner: From when Eric and I began talking, about 6 or 7 years.  The film itself about 2 ½ years.  It has taken a lot longer than we expected because we were denied access to so many places. Pearlstein: When Robby brought me into the project, he was adamant about wanting to hear all sides of the story, but it was nearly impossible to gain access onto industrial farms and into large food corporations.  They just would not let us in.  It felt like it would have been easier to penetrate the Pentagon than to get into a company that makes breakfast cereal.  The legal challenges on this film were also unique.  We found it necessary to consult with a first amendment lawyer throughout the entire filming process. Who or what influenced your film?Kenner: This film was really influenced by Eric Schlosser and Fast Food Nation, but then as we were progressing and had actually gotten funding, it became very influenced as well by Michael Pollan and his book Omnivore’s Dilemma.  And then, as we went out into the world, we became really incredibly influenced by a lot of the farmers we met. What was the most surprising thing you learned?Kenner: As we set out to find out how our food was made, I think the thing that really became most shocking is when we were talking to a woman, Barbara Kowalcyk, who had lost her son to eating a hamburger with E. coli, and she’s now dedicated her life to trying to make the food system safer. It’s the only way she can recover from the loss of her child. But when I asked her what she eats, she told me she couldn't tell me because she would be sued if she answered. Or we see Carol possibly losing her chicken farm … or we see Moe, a seed cleaner who’s just being sued for amounts that there’s no way he can pay, even though he’s not guilty of anything.  Then we realized there’s something going on out there that supersedes foods. Our rights are being denied in ways that I had never imagined. And it was scary and shocking. And that was my biggest surprise. So, what does our current industrialized food system say about our values as a nation?Pollan: It says we value cheap, fast and easy when it comes to food like so many other things, and we have lost any connection to where our food comes from. Kenner: I met a cattle rancher and he said, you know, we used to be scared of the Soviet Union or we used to think we were so much better than the Soviet Union because we had many places to buy things.  And we had many choices.  We thought if we were ever taken over, we’d be dominated where we’d have to buy one thing from one company, and how that’s not the American way.  And he said you look around now, and there’s like one or two companies dominating everything in the food world. We’ve become what we were always terrified of. And that just always haunted me – how could this happen in America?  It seems very un-American that we would be so dominated, and then so intimidated by the companies that are dominating this marketplace. How has the revolving door relationship between giant food companies and Washington affected the food industry?Pearlstein: We discovered that the food industry has managed to shape a lot of laws in their favor.  For example, massive factory farms are not considered real factories, so they are exempt from emissions standards that other factories face.  A surprising degree of regulation is voluntary, not mandatory, which ends up favoring the industry.  What have been the consequences for the American consumer?Kenner: Most American consumers think that we are being protected.  But that is not the case.  Right now the USDA does not have the authority to shut down a plant that is producing contaminated meat.  The FDA and the USDA have had their inspectors cut back.  And it’s for these companies now to self-police, and what we’ve found is, when there’s a financial interest involved, these companies would rather make the money and be sued than correct it.  Self-policing has really just been a miserable failure.  And I think that's been really quite harmful to the American consumer and to the American worker.  Pearlstein: The food industry has succeeded in keeping some very important information about their products hidden from consumers.  It’s outrageous that genetically modified foods don’t need to be labeled.  Today more than 70% of processed foods in the supermarket are genetically modified and we have absolutely no way of knowing.  Whatever your position, you should have the right to make informed choices, and we don’t.  Now the FDA is contemplating whether or not to label meat and milk from cloned cows.  It seems very basic that consumers should have the right to know if they’re eating a cloned steak. Is it possible to feed a nation of millions without this kind of industrialized processing?Pollan: Yes.  There are alternative ways of producing food that could improve Americans’ health.  Quality matters as much as quantity and yield is not the measure of a healthy food system.  Quantity improves a population’s health up to a point; after that, quality and diversity matters more.  And it’s wrong to assume that the industrialized food system is feeding everyone well or keeping the population healthy.  It’s failing on both counts. There is a section of the film that reveals how illegal immigrants are the faceless workers that help to bring food to our tables.  Can you give us a profile of the average worker?Schlosser: The typical farm worker is a young, Latino male who does not speak English and earns about $10,000 a year.  The typical meatpacking worker has a similar background but earns about twice that amount.  A very large proportion of the nation’s farm workers and meatpackers are illegal immigrants. Why are there so many Spanish-speaking workers?Kenner: The same thing that created obesity in this country, which is large productions of cheap corn, has put farmers out of work in foreign countries, whether it’s Mexico, Latin America or around the world.  And those farmers can no longer grow food and compete with the U.S.’ subsidized food.  So a lot of these farmers needed jobs and ended up coming into this country to work in our food production. And they have been here for a number of years.  But what’s happened is that we’ve decided that it’s no longer in the best interests of this country to have them here.  But yet, these companies still need these people and they’re desperate, so they work out deals where they can have a few people arrested at a certain time so it doesn’t affect production. But it affects people’s lives.  And these people are being deported, put in jail and sent away, but yet, the companies can go on and it really doesn’t affect their assembly line.  And what happens is that they are replaced by other, desperate immigrant groups. Could the American food industry exist without illegal immigrants?Schlosser: The food industry would not only survive, but it would have a much more stable workforce.  We would have much less rural poverty.  And the annual food bill of the typical American family would barely increase.  Doubling the hourly wage of every farm worker in this country might add $50 at most to a family’s annual food bill. What are scientists doing to our food and is it about helping food companies’ bottom line or about feeding a growing population?Schlosser: Some scientists are trying to produce foods that are healthier, easier to grow, and better for the environment.  But most of the food scientists are trying to create things that will taste good and can be made cheaply without any regard to their social or environmental consequences. I am not opposed to food science.  What matters is how that science is used … and for whose benefit. Can a person eat a healthy diet from things they buy in the supermarket if they are not buying organic? If so, how?Pollan: Yes, the supermarkets still carry real food.  The key is to shop the perimeter of the store and stay out of the middle where most of the processed food lurks. How are low-income families impacted at the supermarket?Kenner: Things are really stacked against low-income families in this country.  There is a definite desire of the food companies to sell more product to these people because they have less time, they’re working really hard and they have fewer hours in their day to cook.  And the fast food is very reasonably priced.  Coke is selling for less than water.  So when these things are happening, it’s easier for low-income families sometimes to just go in and have a quick meal if they don’t get home until 10 o’clock at night.  At the moment, our food is unfairly priced towards bad food. And, in the same way that tobacco companies went after low-income people because they were heavy users, food companies are going after low-income people because they can market to them, they can make it look very appealing. What can low-income families do to eat healthier?Schlosser: As much as possible, they can avoid cheap, processed foods and fast foods.  It’s possible to eat well and inexpensively.  But it takes more time and effort to do so, and that’s not easy when you’re working two jobs and trying to just to keep your head above water.  The sad thing is that these cheap foods are ultimately much more expensive when you factor in the costs of all the health problems that come later. Pollan: It’s possible to eat healthy food on a budget but it takes a greater investment of time.  If you are willing to cook and plan ahead, you can eat local, sustainable food on a budget. If someone wanted to get involved and help change the system, what would you suggest they do? Pearlstein: I hope people will want to be more engaged in the process of eating and shopping for food.  We have learned that there are a lot of different fronts to fight on this one, and people can see what most resonates with them.  Maybe it’s really just “voting with their forks” – eating less meat, buying different food, buying from companies they feel good about, going to farmers markets. People can try to find a CSA – community supported agriculture – where you buy a share in a farm and get local food all year.  That really helps support farmers and you get fresh, seasonal food.  On the local political level, people can work on food access issues, like getting more markets into low income communities, getting better lunch programs in schools, trying to get sodas out of schools.  And on a national level, we’ve learned that reforming the Farm Bill would have a huge influence on our food system. It requires some education, but it is something we should care about. What do you hope people take away from this film?Schlosser: I hope it opens their eyes. Kenner: That things can change in this country. It changed against the big tobacco companies.  We have to influence the government and readjust these scales back into the interests of the consumer.  We did it before, and we can do it again. Pollan: A deeper knowledge of where their food comes from and a sense of outrage over how their food is being produced and a sense of hope and possibility of the alternatives springing up around the country.  Food, Inc. is the most important and powerful film about our food system in a generation.

For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from all angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and CEOs, like co-producer Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma), Gary Hirschberg (Stonyfield Farms), and Barbara Kowalcyk, who's been lobbying for more rigorous standards since E. coli claimed the life of her two-year-old son. The filmmaker takes his camera into slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost. If eco-docs tends to preach to the converted, Kenner presents his findings in such an engaging fashion that Food, Inc. may well reach the very viewers who could benefit from it the most: harried workers who don't have the time or income to read every book and eat non-genetically modified produce every day. Though he covers some of the same ground as Super-Size Me and King Corn, Food Inc. presents a broader picture of the problem, and if Kenner takes an understandably tough stance on particular politicians and corporations, he's just as quick to praise those who are trying to be responsible--even Wal-Mart, which now carries organic products. That development may have more to do with economics than empathy, but the consumer still benefits, and every little bit counts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Features

  • In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farm
Healthy Snacks Gourmet Gift Box
Healthy Snacks Gourmet Gift Box
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Send them a gift of healthy choices with this stylish gift box filled with health conscious snacks and treats. Finished with a handsome plaid bow this gifts makes a heart healthy statement. A great gift for any age or any occasion!This Gift Includes:* 2 -Snyder's Fat Free pretzels * Tropicana Lemon flavored water * 2 Nutri-Grain fruit filled granola bars * 3 -Crystal Light lemonade mix * Yogurt covered raisins * Flat earth baked veggie chips * Fat Free vegetable dip * 2 -Stone wheat crackers * Solid green gift box (measures 11x9x8).

Features

  • Finished with a handsome plaid bow, this gift shows how much you care about their health
  • This makes a great gift for college or prep school students away from home
  • Send them a gift of healthy choices with this box filled with health-conscious snacks
100% Organic Cotton Stuffed Multi Fruit Tote
100% Organic Cotton Stuffed Multi Fruit Tote
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Description

Your child will fall in love with our new fruit tote play set with braided handles! Encouraging children to develop a positive attitude towards vegetables.

Features

  • Embroidered message Fresh organic fruit basket.
  • Includes Chiquita banana, pear, grape and watermelon.
  • Made and stuffed with the finest 100% organic Egyptian cotton.
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